I wanted to start a thread for those of us who are waiting "with bated breath" for our surgeries in March.

I am supposed to start Optifast on February 26th. I am currently waiting for the shipment, including my surgical package to be delivered. Once I get my package I am supposed to call the clinic.

Ever since committing to this surgery (which I am paying for myself via a personal loan) I have been obsessed with reading everything I can about it and about people who have had it. I am still kind of hoping for some kind of "divine word" about whether or not it is the right thing for me to do.

I am "only" 75 lbs over my ideal weight but am type II diabetic. I am trying to figure out if my reason for doing this is my health or my vanity or a combination of both. The diabetes needs to be gone (when I am 20 lbs lighter it is gone) but I am sure looking forward to losing the weight and actually keeping it off for more than 20 minutes...

I am having very little pain but I am tight tight tight! in the morning. I have to sip very slowly and eating anything even mushies is out of the question until about noon.

I am only three days out so I hope as the swelling goes down this will improve. Anyone else like this??

Wow I can't believe how many of us there are for March!!

I am sending you positive energy Tammyj and all those to be banded today!!

FurEllie/Sophie: Yes I think you guys are right about the waist swelling I wore pants yesterday and they were fine in the hips and thighs but killed me in the waist!!

Synicalchick: I feel like the burping queen but somtimes it feels really good:p Also I get a some soreness in the port area when walking too. I just come home and use the heating pad and that helps.

SueinRussia: Glad to hear you are doing well and to sneezing....oh yes that was painful to say the least:eek:

I think I am doing well....my doc does his first fills now 3 weeks after surgery so I go for mine on 3/26. I am already eating some solid foods like canned tuna and canned chicken and canned veggies since they are all soft and very moist. Last night I had some penne pasta with veggies and chicken mixed together. I still get surprised by how little it now takes to get full:p . But as long as I chew chew and chew some more everything seems fine.

Hope everyone is doing well.

I have a terrible problem, I am being banded on the 28th and I have to start my liquid diet on the 18th. I have been going to my favorite places to eat every day and getting my favorite food there thinking it will be the last time I will ever be able to eat there. Last night I went to my favorite place that has ribs, usually I eat half of my order and take the other half home and eat it the next day, but last night I ate the whole meal. Its like I can't help myself, knowing that I'm going to be on the liquid diet Sunday and it will be a good 6 weeks or better before I can have real food. I am just craving all my favorite foods with the thought that I will probably never be able to eat and enjoy these foods again.

I have to get over this feeling, I going to weigh more at my pre-op then i

for my first consult. Has anyone else experienced this, I know its all in my head. I am so stuffed and bloated I can't hardly breathe.

I am beginning to look forward to the 18th just so I can't do this anymore. Have I gone off the deep end?:hungry:

Yes jello is jelly. Though in the states we call jam jelly too-- well technically there is a difference, but I won't go into it. And our chips are the same as crisps and our fries are chips. One food I could go for is peanut butter. Though cottage cheese does sound heavenly to me as well. But it will be a while before I move on to food-- clear liquids the next day or two and then I think its other liquids for the rest of the week maybe two weeks and then mushies. I'd have to look it up in the booklet. But I know clear liquids through tomorrow at least. And in order to get my booklet I would have to stoop over and dig through stuff so I will really be having my DH get it out for me tomorrow. I also told him he might have to take tomorrow off of work to take care of me. He orginally planned on going at least for a while and also working from home and just comming back if I needed him but since it hurts a lot more than I was expecting it to I think I might need him here a bit longer, like with help with getting up and stuff if nothing else. Today after I went to the bathroom I was pulling my trousers back up but oops I dropped them and I had him help me with that because I was having an extra sore moment waiting for pain killer to kick in and I so didn't want to have to sit back down and I wasn't going to bend over. And my heating pad is always on-- I just move it whatever area needs it the most.

Normally I have an ok to high pain threshold. And having fibro I figure thats pretty good since my anesthiologist says people with fibro feel pain differently and all, but after enough practice... But this just really hurts. LOL. I'm such a wimp. I think it will be better once the swelling goes down. Its also strange to look at the swollen parts of my belly sticking out further.

Speaking of peanut butter my DIL just sent this to me this morning. This may be a small solution for us peanut butter lovers!

http://hlc.merchantcart.net/mainshopping.cfm?icg_id=118&showsku_ID=2655&Show=PURCHASE

By the way - I'm not a big fan of tomato soup as it tastes like Spagetti-Os without the Os. But ... I got a Campbell's Select Gold Label soup that was Italian Tomato with Basil and Garlic. This has to be one of the single most delicious things I've ever tasted. I love and adore it.

When I eat, I get this feeling, kind of like a pressure in my chest - almost like the start of heartburn (I assume a signal that I'm done). I ate a full cup and a half of tomato soup the other day (way too much) and I regretted it. I didn't get sick or anything, just felt bloated (funny that a bit of soup can make me feel the way a gigantic McDonald's meal used to). Today I was eating cottage cheese and I didn't want to stop eating it because it tasted good, but I got the feeling again and remembered the lesson I'd learned. I had eaten almost 1 cup (and, bad me, it was the only thing I ate all day today). I have a hard time balancing work and eating. It's amazing and fabulous and an all-out miracle that I can feel full and satisified with less than a cup of cottage cheese.

PB means Productive Burp. I've never experienced it myself (knock on wood) but I looked up all the shortcut terms on here once so I could follow easier.

Lara, one thing I have found that I love is the Campbell's Soup at Hand. You just heat it in the Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes and it is so delicious. You just sip it right out of the can.

kssunflower- no sweetie , you have not gone off the deep end. i was in France for my surgery and I was eating the most wonderful food in the days before. I was so glad to get to the hospital..i was so stuffed!!!! I say enjoy-don't make youself sick and don't beat yourself up. one thing I tell myself instead of i will never...is I but slower and smaller quanities. Somehow that makes me feel better.

I saw someone else say to swirl feta cheese into the tomato soup for more protein and also some sourcream. yummy. I made chicken soup and pureed everything ,returned it to the broth and added coconut milk..YUMMY!!!!!!!!! It was very filling , thanks Annie!

good luck band friends today!

kyethra- how are you holding up with the pain???I have 3 boys with red hair by the way- all different shades of red. My little girl has blond but I reallywanted her to have red!!

From one KSgirl to another.............Sunflower: YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!!!

I have been on a farewell to food tour since getting a date! It has been horrible because I keep saying to myself... I better have that extra piece of garlic bread because in a month I won't be able to have it~

STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!!!!!!!

other than that, I'm having a great day! :success1:

I SOOOO had last meal syndrome!!! I ate my way around the universe the last two weeks before my surgery.

A lot of us use food like addicts - facing giving up my addiction was scary. But now that I have had my surgery I am so glad I did it!

I SOOOO had last meal syndrome!!! I ate my way around the universe the last two weeks before my surgery.

A lot of us use food like addicts - facing giving up my addiction was scary. But now that I have had my surgery I am so glad I did it!

I posted the following on FEB 6th and though it appropriate....

Date Posted: 02-06-2007 at 07:20 AM -

Today I came armed with slim fast to use in between meals and tons of Spring greens/lean ham/one slice provolone/ and other of my fav salad fixins... cranberries, flax seed, blueberries and some sunflower seeds. I will be chowing down for lunch.. I brought so much of the spring greens that I may even eat some for breakfast.. hard to beat a really good salad.

I'm trying to get a handle on myself again, mentally something happened when I finally made the decision to get the procedure... I'll call it 'emergency eating'. OMG.. I may never get to eat this again.. OR this.. or this.. or this.. or that over there... And OMG I won't be able to eat this quantity ever again so I must eat the 12 oz steak.. not just 7 oz.. I mean....

So basically, this thinking has found me at 335. Now I must take control again and behave and eat good things like I KNOW I should. Food is my addiction and I've let it rage out of control. sigh.. baby steps.

Hello Everyone:

This group is very large now. I was gone for 3 days and it took me so long to read and catch up - Glad everyone is doing fine. Today is the 1st day of my mushie stage. Next Thursday I'm on Solids.

I called and made my appointment for my 1st fill (3-27-07). I drink up until I eat then 1 hour after.

I ate at 10am yesterday and didn't eat again until 10:30pm. I wasn't hungry. I did drink and clean up. I was kindof glad I had no appetite yesterday. I weigh in today and I gained 4 lbs. That is ok. I know the reason I lost more weight was because I was on liquids only, as you add food - Thicker, solids - that is more calories.

I plan to start an exercise plan to counteract the calories I'm intaking.

Good Luck all you March Bandsters, I wouldn't change anything.

My family & my husband family knows that I had the surgery. They are so use to me eating a lot of food, but when we went to dinner the other night I only had a very small piece of fish (started before mushie stage). They were like your full, I told them yes - they had several pieces of fish, fries, chicken, salad. Later that night my SIL asked me - so how does the band work - I explained - I think she called my MIL because she called me later and asked me about it also.

I tried to explain - I'm not a big person now - 5'1, 195 @ surgery, I'm small framed - If you saw me you wouldn't think I needed it, but 3 months ago I weighed around 140 lbs. I eat when no one is around. I would stop and get something to eat on the way home and then eat when I got home also. I was on my way up and I wanted to prevent the weight gain before I started having real problems, (no offense) but I didn't want to wait until I was 250-300 lbs before the surgery.

I am so glad I did this!!!

Tammy,

Talk about dedication!! Up at 4am to give a welcome to the our new March band buddies. Been thinking about you all day. Hopeing for a speedy recovery.

Welcome to Bandland!!

Kyethra - 03/14

Charlif761 - 03/14

x-ray chic - 03/14

demsvmejm - 03/14

CuddleNymph - 03/14

gret1964 - 03/14

thanks Tracy!!!!!

Congrats everyone!!! Please keep us posted on your recovery. I need all the information I can get-my date is on Monday!!! Nerves!!!

Sherri

Hi Sherry, my date is Tuesday and if something doesn't calm my nerves, I'm wondering if I can make it until then? Ack! I wish you good luck and speedy recovery.

I want to hear from everyone also.

AMRDMR

:sick Hi all. i joined theland of the banded on Wednesday...banded by Dr. LaFullarde in Geel, Blegium. I had never met him prior to surgery, but was hoping he was as good of a surgeon as he was good looking!! lol Then I remembered he would see me mostly naked! haha. Anyway, he sits on a medical ethics board with dr. Dillemans, for the Royal Society of Belgian Surgeons or something like that.

I went in Thursday morning, was supposed to be in a room with 4 bes, but they had no free beds..So I was put in a room with two beds...and nobody to share it with!! YAY! I had my blood tests done and an EKG. After that, I took a valium to help calm me down. I was then wheeled into surgery and remember NOTHING past the initial burning pain of the IV. i woke up in recovery and remember asking for pain meds, but dont remember the pain. I spent the entire rest of the day and night sleeping. This morning, I got out of bed to pee twice and finally to get a sponge bat (I knew I was feeling rough when I stood naked in front of a stranger!!)

my hubby drove me home the 2 hour drive, and I have been trying to find a comfortable position ever since. I am not so much experiencing pain, as it is severe discomfort and ithing on my belly. Getting up off a chair, couch or bed is ROUGH!!! I am drinking loads of Water and cannot have anything else until tomorrow...followed by 3 days of specific liquids. I dont care.. I am not hungry.

No gas pains in my shoulders yet....

So, welcome fellow newbies adn good luck to the rest being banded this week. I am signing out. I have reached the limits of my energy...

Charlotte